#Trafalgar #Italy

"A journey is best measured in friends, not in miles"-Tim Cahill

A group of 43 people, mostly from the U.S., with a family from Canada became our travel buddies for a little over a week of fun and adventure. One couple was on their honeymoon, one woman traveled alone (extremely brave in my opinion), but mostly couples. My sister, Donna and I were the only sister team, and other than the honeymooners, appeared to be on the younger side of the group. The oldest was a woman who was 94, who kept up with the group quite well.

What was nice about this tour was there was some downtime, not running from one thing to another. Our tour guide, Alfonso, was quite knowledgeable about the sights and history of the places we went to. He was also good about pointing curious souls in the right direction when exploring or shopping. Also very helpful were the other travelers who came across or knew something of interest and shared with the rest of the group. Donna and I also found those at the front desk of the hotel were most valuable as well when trying to navigate around the city.

And boy did we travel. In Rome, we toured the city, visited the Circus Maximus, Colosseum as well as going to the Vatican to the St. Peter's Basilica and the Museo Gregoriano Profano, where we were able to go to the Sistine Chapel. On our first free day off, Donna and I went back to the Vatican for a Papal Audience Tickets and Presentation . This was through Trip Advisors. The Pope has an audience who come from all over the world to see him. And while the tickets are free, we paid to have a tour guide educate us about the area as well as get us through security and to a great location to see Pope Francis. Worth every penny.

A high speed train took us to Florence where seeing the statue of David up close as well as other works by Michelangelo were amazing. Beautiful shops there including Victoria Secrets, Apple, Hard Rock and some touches of America found dispersed among the local shops. Many interesting shops found on the little narrow alleyways. The best pasta and pizza found here as well. Took a side trip to Pisa, which I first complained about....a tourist trap. But I was wrong, very wrong. The leaning tower is part of the Square of Miracles and there was a gorgeous cathedral as well as other buildings there. The grounds were filled with people of all ages, yet I didn't feel I was in a mob. Next off to a trip to the hills of Tuscany to a farm to table establishment, Fattoria il Poggio, where we had an outstanding meal with wine tasting inside the wine cellar.

The following day, on a big bus through the windy, narrow and steep roads of the Tuscany region, we went to San Gimignano, a gorgeous castle community on the top of a large hill in the region. Build by wealthy families, fueled by power and status. Before we ended up there, Alfonso took us to a place I did not hear of: The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial. A memorial for those Americans who fought and died on Italian soil during World War II. This was the first time I saw the American flag during our trip, which I missed seeing while on this trip. While the places I visited in Italy were reminders of past times, civilizations, of influences from local regions, such as Greece, this was a reminder of America's effort in fighting against the dictatorships that reined during that time. Extremely moving for all of us.

San Gimignano was fabulous for many reasons. It is a little off the beaten path, so while tourists do visit, it is in small numbers. You can mingle with the locals as they go about their day. As usual, the buildings and streets are old. The church is the center or foundation of the community. And we had the world's best gelato there. Luck would have it that a reporter with a cameraman was interviewing the owner of Gelateria Dondoli. This created a great deal of attention, and soon many people, Donna and I included, flocked to his tiny store. On the wall it stated that he uses only local milk from organic farms. All I can say is that the pistachio gelato was FANTASTIC.

Another high speed train ride to Venice, where the weather and I were not so good. So one day ended up being a washout. When it cleared, we were off and running...well walking, to St. Mark's Square and various parts of the city through large steep bridges and at times tiny...and I mean tiny walkways. My sister and I took walks away from the shops to some of the quiet communities, the non-tourist sections. We boated, to Murano for glass blowing demonstration and to Burano for a delicious meal and walking through the colorful town.

Yes, I did go on a gondola ride with my sister, which originally I thought was a touristy thing, but so glad I did it. The gondolas, while it may be crowded in the bigger canals, can take you to only places a boat can go, so you get to see the city from a different angle. While getting on and off was a little tricky, the ride was very calming.

One of my biggest surprise from Venice was how clean the water was. It was green, not brown. And there was no smell. The country as well as the city has worked very hard to take care of the waterways.

For me, the biggest surprise is how moved I was by this trip, on all levels. To walk, see and be near antiquity, to come to a country my ancestors were originally from, to be deeply moved by the sights build by man, as well as nature. To get incredibly close to the Pope, and being around pilgrims from all over the world. To eat delicious food and drink fabulous vino. To meet people from Jersey as well as those from other parts of North America. To get out of my comfort zone, get out of my way and to have a trip of a life time.

In truth, this is the FIRST trip of my lifetime. There will be others I promise.

#Rome, #Florence, #Pisa, #San Giminano, #Tuscany, #Venice, #Murano, #Burano, #Fattoria Il Poggio. With more hashtags to come!